


About damn time

by ComeAlongDoctor



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: F/F, Lesbian Character, Marvel Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 06:26:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8275975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComeAlongDoctor/pseuds/ComeAlongDoctor
Summary: “She said she’s seen the way I look at her, and then the bitch just hopped into another dimension leaving me with that little ditty.”





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [eternaleponine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternaleponine/gifts).



> First Kate/America Fic! Super excited to hear both characters got their own solo titles! For Eternaleponine for the inspiration to pair these two.

This was stupid, even by Kate’s standards. Why was she doing this again?

To prove a point. Yes, it was to prove a point. To prove America didn’t know shit about her. 

America had smashed through the dimensional barrier, casually tossing “I see the way you look at me” over her shoulder with a smug look. Ever since then Kate had been obsessing over it.

By the time Kate had approved of her dress and put the finishing touches on her makeup she had convinced herself it was all to prove a point. 

Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt kids. It can be very persuasive. Kate was good with denial. 

Dazzler had invited Kate to one of her opening shows at the Abbey. Did it mean anything that it was at a predominantly gay bar? Nah. And it really didn’t mean anything that Kate had put in the effort to dress up. Nope, didn’t mean anything.

The club was no different than any other; save the patrons and some very muscular men in thongs pole dancing on platforms. Even Natasha would be impressed with these guys.

Kate saw Allison setting up her DJ table on the stage as she walked past the men in glittery thongs, giving the mutant a small wave before making a beeline for the bar and planting roots. 

Dazzler sidled up to the bar a bit later; all cool confidence, punk rock hair, and the famous star tattoo on her face that was vaguely familiar. The new punk rock image looked good on the girl. 

“You know, if you keep tossing them back like that I’ll have to call Billy and Teddy to come get you.”

Kate laughed, tossing back another shot. “Those two are too busy making doe eyes at each other to come and get me. That, or desperately trying not to wake Billy’s parent’s while they have sex.” Kate wrinkled her nose at the thought.

“Fair point.” Allison checked her watch. “I’ve gotta be on stage in a sec here. Take it easy or I’ll call Noh-Varr to collect you, then you’ll be really pissed.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kate pushed Allison towards the stage. “I’ll be alright, I promise. Go dazzle and some shit.”

“Ha, ha. So punny. But seriously, slow it down.” 

Allison knew Kate was uncomfortable, she only drank like this when she was uncomfortable. But it wasn’t with the setting. Or the people. The archer was uncomfortable with herself. And for Kate Bishop that was an entirely new beast. 

Kate had told Allison about America’s comment. Hell, she had told Allison all about America. All the while insisting it wasn’t ‘like that’. Her discomfort wasn’t out of some born of prejudice, Allison knew that. With Kate it was more about fear. Fear of answers to questions she didn’t want to ask. 

Kate drank and slept with random guys- hell even ended up in out space on a ‘one-night stand’. Kate had said that it was really hard to ditch a guy when you’re the next galaxy over and there’s no escape pods. 

The archer was good with excuses like that. She was just like her namesake in that way. More than content to be a fuck up in that area of her life. Just ask Bobbi Morse about how fucked up Hawkeye’s can be. 

But bringing home random boys, kicking them out of her bed, and then getting another one the next night was completely different than true interests in anyone. Allison wasn’t sure if it mattered that America was a girl, or just that she was a person that Kate might want more than a quick fuck from. 

“You gonna drink that, or are you just gonna let the ice go all melty and water perfectly good alcohol down?”

Kate looked up, her hand stilling on the straw, “I’m sorry?”

“The drink.” The stranger nodded to Kate’s forgotten drink on the bar. 

Kate appraised the girl. Tall, brunette, and drop dead gorgeous. She reminded Kate of someone, but the archer was too buzzed to care.

“Buy me a new one?” Kate held her glass up in emphasis. 

“I think I can do that beautiful.” The nameless brunette signaled the bartender. A heavily tattooed woman answered the call. It was like the alcohol ghostbusters, only not so much.

“What can I get you lasses.” The Irish drawl seemed out of place, but dear god it was hot. Wait. Did Kate just…. did she just think that? Drunk. She was drunk. Yup. Now even her own brain was conspiring against her.

“Two Vodka redbulls,” the brunette threw up two fingers with a smile, “on my tab.”

“I’m Dani. By the way.” The brunette swiveled in her seat to face Kate. 

“Kate.”

“What brings you here Kate, this doesn’t seem like your usual venue.” Dani gestured to the men in glitter thongs with a laugh.

“My friend is DJing. Dazzler, if you know of her.”

“Everyone knows of Dazzler Katie Kate.”

Kate looked up at the nickname. Only Clint called her that. And she didn’t even like it then. She once shot him in the ass with a tranquilizer arrow to emphasize her distain. 

“Just Kate.”

“Sorry beautiful. Just Kate it is.”

A drink was placed in front of Kate and her watered down one was taken away.

“So, were you planning on staying for all of Dazzler’s show, or do you want to get out of here and go somewhere less noisy?”

Kate knew what the offer was. This may not be her venue, but she wasn’t stupid. What the brunette was intimating wasn’t lost on her. Shit, who did this girl remind her of?

“I’m down for quieter.” Kate tossed her drink back unceremoniously, getting to her feet. No wobble, good sign.

“Alright then.” Dani started cutting her way through the crowd, tossing her hand backwards to pull Kate towards the exit. 

The deep thrumming beat of one of Dazzler’s songs followed them out onto the sidewalk, Kate only stumbling a little bit in her heels. She really should have just worn boots. Every time. Go with the boots. No one can’t run from Dark Elves in heels. Well…never mind, Natasha totally could.

Once they were outside Dani let go of Kate’s hand, digging both of hers into her pockets. 

“So where to, not Katie Kate?”

Kate only lived a few blocks from the club, but she definitely wasn’t in the habit of inviting strangers back to her loft. Male or female.

What? She knew a lot of super villains. Can’t bring a super villain home to your loft, she would never live it down. 

“Yours.”

The other woman grinned, taking a step towards Kate to grip the archers hips gently. “You sure?”

Kate nodded. Why did she nod yes? 

Then there she was. Young Avenger. Expert marksman. Royal fuck up. And apparently not so straight individual, kissing a random girl in the middle of WeHo. 

Kissing Dani was different. Men were all hard edges, stubble, and too handsy for their own good. Dani was none of those things.

Kate hooked her fingers through the other girl’s belt loops, crashing their lips together.

“Hey.” Dani broke the kiss, taking Kate’s hand to pull her down the street. “Slow down there Quicksilver, we’ve got all night.”

What a shit reference. Kate knew Quicksilver personally. And he could be a real dick. Even his own sister would confirm his dickery.

It was a battle to get through the door to Dani’s apartment. Hands not wanting to stray from Kate’s hips to retrieve her keys. When the door finally gave way they nearly fell into a heap on the apartment floor, breaking the kiss to laugh and right themselves. 

“Do you want something to drink?” Dani waved her hand in the direction of the kitchen.

Kate bunched up her purple dress, yanking it over her head to throw it at Dani. “Maybe later.”

Then there she was. Resident Young Avenger’s fuck up, and all around bad decision maker, standing in the middle of the living room of a random girl in matching purple underwear and bra. 

Dani raised her eyebrow, dropping the dress to the floor. “You seem to have a color theme going on.”

The archer shrugged noncommittally waiting on Dani to make the next move. “Everyone’s got a gimmick these days. Now are you going to stand there with your mouth open, or are you going to show me where the bedroom is?”

Kate was rushing this. She knew she was. She didn’t really have to think about it that way. Easier to just deal with all the regret in the morning. Once she’d abandoned ship and tried to avoid the walk of shame. 

“I dunno,” the other brunette tapped her chin with a smile, “I have always liked this spot in my apartment the most. Bedroom second of course.”

Kate toed her heels off, flicking each of them just wide of Dani. Wouldn’t do to brain the girl she was trying to have sex with- and Kate never missed. 

“Come to think of it. I must have gotten mixed up. The bedroom is definitely my favorite part of this apartment.”

The path to the bedroom was a messy one, lips never breaking apart long enough to check for furniture in their path. Kate was so sure she would be bruised to hell tomorrow. Nothing she wasn’t used to. 

“You’re overdressed,” Kate mumbled against Dani’s lips.

“Hmm?”

Kate broke the kiss, tugging at the brunette’s top. “This. Off.”

“Yes ma’am.” 

Kate was so sure Dani would find that shirt hooked to the ceiling fan the next morning as she tossed it up into the air, not really caring where it landed.

“And these.” Kate emphasized her point with a tug on Dani’s waistband. 

Dani unzipped her jeans, shimming out of them, kicking them to the side. “Are you this bossy with everyone?”

“Maybe.” 

This was terrifying. Truly. But Kate was expert level at faking confidence. You kind of had to be when you’re going into a battle with the likes of Mother and Galactus and you’re pretty sure you’re going to die. You shake. You waiver. You get distracted by the idea that you’re not going home and you’re dead. 

Dani reached around to unclasp Kate’s bra, sliding the straps off of her shoulders and letting the offending garment to the floor.

The woman took a small step backwards, appraising Kate. “Shit. You are gorgeous.”

Don’t blush Bishop. Don’t blush. 

“Off.’ Kate waived her hand over Dani’s entire body. “All of it.”

Dani grinned, pulling her sports bra over her head, then turning her focus to her boy shorts. 

Kate wasn’t really sure if she was ready to see a stranger naked. A girl stranger. Sure she’d seen Cassie naked. But they were best friend and it hadn’t really been anything. But this time, the pull low in her belly and the wetness between her legs were pretty clear indicators that this was something. Something different. 

And that thought was still there, nagging Kate. Dani reminded her of someone. The wild brown hair, tan skin, and well defined muscles all seemed so incredibly familiar. Maybe when her buzz wore off she would register it. 

For now, looking at Dani, Kate was pretty sure of one thing. She wanted this girl. Wanted to touch her, wanted to be touched by her. Regrets and deep thoughts were best left for when the sun came up and the walk of shame commenced. 

“On the bed beautiful.”

For once in her life Kate did what she was told, crawling to the head of the bed to lay on her back. 

Dani grinned again, kneeling between Kate’s legs on the bed; scratching her short nails along the inside of the archer’s thighs. 

Kate tried to suppress a shiver, but suspected she did a fairly poor job. 

“Please.” Was on the edge of her lips as Dani kissed behind her knee, dragging her lips up the inside of Kate’s thigh. But the feeling of Dani’s mouth hovering over the damp cloth at the apex of her thighs had the word dying on Kate’s lips. 

Kate felt a light kiss that barely brushed the fabric, doing nothing to quiet the heat pooling in her belly. Then a nip to the inside of her thigh before she felt a weight settle on her stomach, fingers still massaging just north of where Kate really wanted them to be. 

“Any requests princess?”

Kate cracked an eyelid, looking down at Dani and it finally fucking registered. The untamed hair and tan skin, the annoying moniker of “princess”, cocksure attitude, and delightfully muscular body. Dani could have been America’s evil twin. Which wasn’t, strictly, true because Dani had shown no inclinations towards the dark side. And probably didn’t even own a star spangled jacket. (But really, who had a star spangled jacket). So- doppelganger then.

How the fuck had she missed this? She wasn’t that drunk. 

“I- “

Dani gave Kate a kiss on the inside of her thigh with an air of finality before flopping down next to the archer on the bed. 

“I’m not who you want.” It was a simple statement, but for some reason it made Kate’s chest hurt. 

“Excuse me?” It was true. But playing dumb couldn’t hurt. Or maybe she was just trying to stall the inevitable?

“You look at me like I’m someone else. Or at least you wish I was someone else.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kate went to get out of the bed, stopping when she felt Dani’s hand catch hers. 

“I don’t know you very well Kate Bishop, but you’re lying.”

Hearing her name was enough to cause a double take.

“You know who I am?”

“You run around the world with no mask, and you’re a billionaire socialite. You think you have any anonymity?”

Dani could see the slump in Kate’s shoulders immediately. 

“Hey…. C’mere.” Dani gave a gentle tug on the other girl’s arm, encouraging her to sit back down. 

“This your first time taking a total stranger home?”

Kate couldn’t stop the abrupt laugh that escaped her. “No. Seriously. No. Just the first girl. I once ended up in outer space when I took a rando home.”

“Interesting…...” Not many people could claim the outer space thing. “Well I can’t help but say I’m flattered. Now, you wanna to tell me what’s up?”

Kate sighed, she really didn’t. If the words came from her brain and then out of her mouth, even in semi-sober thought, then it was real. Whatever this was, whatever she was thinking and feeling was all real. 

“She said I look at her.” Kate finally met Dani’s eyes. “America. She said she’s seen the way I look at her, and then the bitch just hopped into another dimension leaving me with that little ditty.”

“And now you’re afraid she’s right?”

Kate felt herself nod. It was the first time she’d ever really acknowledge her fear without covering it up with meaningless bullshit and excuses.

“I didn’t register why I was so interested in you until just now. You two look a lot alike. Ever considered being a super hero?”

Dani laughed a bit, “I actually get that a lot. Sadly, I can’t hop dimensions or punch things into a pulp.”

“Great.” 

“Kate.” Dani touched her arm lightly, “What are you so afraid of?”

“Honestly?” Kate scrubbed her face with her hands, “I have no fucking clue. I thought I knew-” Kate hesitated, “I thought I knew who I was. A super hero and all around fuck up. Before she said something I had never even thought about it. Now-god I know this is stupid. But, now I feel like I don’t know anything. Now, I’m just confused. How fucked up is that? Being afraid that I might be gay.”

“Or you just like America, and it’s as simple as that. Trust me, it happens.” Dani smiles, and Kate kind of figured it happened to Dani a lot. 

“Yeah except America doesn’t like anyone. She not really the social type. Maybe she was just fucking with me.”

“Trust me,” Dani caught Kate’s eye, “girls like her don’t say stuff like that when they aren’t interested. Tell her how you feel.”

The archer let go of a heavy sigh she’d been holding, “how did a random hookup turn into a therapy session? We were supposed to have sex, then I was supposed to leave before morning, pretend like nothing happened and eat my feelings and angst with a spoon.”

“You weren’t expecting to want to have sex with a girl when you came out tonight, were you? You were trying to convince yourself that you’re perfectly straight, no room for bending.”

“I don’t know,” Kate rubbed her temples in frustration. “Yeah, I guess. Fuck. What do I do now?”

“Well you really only have two options here. One, you can pine away and keep looking at her, knowing she knows. Or two, you can tell her and see where it goes.”

Kate stood up off the bed, facing Dani “are those really my only two options? I’m good with hiding forever, watching Doctor Who on Netflix, and never leave my house again?”

“Nope,” the other woman stood up to face her, “not really an option here princess.”

Kate groaned at the nickname, “God are you sure you’re not her?”

“Pretty sure. Now go and find her.” Dani gave Kate a final smack on the ass, maneuvering her towards the door.

“You know- you’re really taking this whole no sex thing well.”

“Make it up to me.”

“How…” skeptical Kate was skeptical. Paid to be in her line of work. She had, after all, spent a significant amount of time with Loki.

“Give me your number so that if an evil villain ever decides to kidnap me, or hell if a girl tries to stalk me, I’ve got a superhero’s number.”

Kate laughed, it felt good to laugh. “I guess that’s a fair trade.”

Kate took Dani’s phone saving her number under Kate ‘The other Hawkeye’ Bishop.

“I hate to say it,” Kate pulled her dress over her head and retrieved her heels, “but, call me if you ever want to have a drink some time, or just watch a movie. It’s hard to find people to hang out with outside of the superhero community.”

“You got a deal other Hawkeye, now go find her and either chicken out or spit it out.”

“You know it’s really hard to find a girl who can hop dimensions at will right?”

Dani pushed Kate out of the door, not really giving her much say in the matter. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Kate started her trek back to her loft, thinking of all the ways she could justify chickening out to herself. 

America won’t feel the same way. 

America might be a Terminator. She probably can’t feel anything at all. 

America is a Vulcan and they have, of course, purged all emotions. 

And anyways, she didn’t even have a way of contacting America-so that’s that! 

Ugh, no. She did have a way of calling her. America had given her a number to call in the case of multiverse ending threats. Kate weighed it out- Doctor Doom trying for world domination, Hydra hostile take overs, numerous Hulk smashes. Did this truly rank up there? Probably, yes. 

Kate sat on a park bench and stared at her phone long enough that the homeless man across from her asked if she saw the Devil too. 

Sigh, “No. Not the devil.” Kate handed the guy a few hundreds and told him to get something to eat as she walked towards her loft, summoning the courage to press the call button.

The line rang for a while, long enough for Kate to internally panic, feel like she was going to vomit, and throw her phone all in one go. 

“What’s up princess?”

Kate had no clue what to say, her plan had extended as far as ‘dial’. What the fuck was she supposed to say?

“Princess?”

“Hey.” Kate knew her voice was shaky, but she’d managed a word. Winning.

“Hey.” America already sounded slightly annoyed at the pace of their conversation. “Is everything alright over there? You usually talk more than this Chica”

“Yeah. Um. Do you think you could meet me at my loft?”

“Uh, yeah. I guess. Lemme just finish with this guy.” Kate heard a sickening crunch on the other end of the line. No doubt America was ‘finished’ with that guy.

“Is everyone else over there?”

“No…” Kate trailed off. 

“You’re not giving me much to go on here. I’ll just meet you there princess.” The line clicked dead before Kate could say anything back. Not like she had anything else to say back. 

Kate got to her loft and dropped her keys to the door a half a dozen times before she finally gave up and slumped down the wall in the hallway. Why the hell were her hands shaking? She never missed, her hands always steady. And now she was a mess. Fuck it, the hallway floor was comfy. Who needs a loft.

Kate waited. And waited some more, until she was fairly certain she was going to lose her nerve. America must have gotten tied up beating another person to a bloody pulp. America’s specialty. Hitting things really hard.

“Don’t you live here?”

Kate sighed, picking her head up from the crook of her arm. “Yeah, but I’ve always really liked it out here. I’m considering moving my bed out here.”

“You drunk Chica?”

“For this? Surprisingly no.”

“This?”

Kate pushed herself to her feet, grabbing the keys she’d abandoned by the door. 

“Just. Come in.”

Kate stared at her hands for a second. Please don’t shake. Please don’t shake. She felt the lock click and the door give way. Yay. 

America closed the door gently, thank god for that. The last two times she’d been to Kate’s loft she’s snapped the door clear off of its’ hinges. America had refit the door to the frame and walked away in the hopes Kate wouldn’t notice. “So what’s this about princess?” 

“Thank you.”

“Thank you?”

“For not breaking my door again. I might be rich, but repair work isn’t cheap.”

America raised an eyebrow, which Kate had always interpreted to be some form of a smile. “I aim to please. What’s with the dress?”

Even with America very clearly looking her up and down, Kate could barely get a read off of her.

Kate opened and then promptly shut her mouth, not really sure how to proceed, doing it a few times before simply staring at America.

“Alright princess, you look like a goldfish. Spit it out. What’s going on, and why is no one else here. I only gave you my number in case something serious happened.”

“Something serious has happened. I just-don’t know where to even begin. So I-” Kate turned around to face America. “I went out tonight.”

“Don’t you go out every night? Usually you bring some boy home with you, and toss him out before coffee.” America shrugged while Kate stared at her. 

“The boys gossip. And you did end up in space on a one-night stand.”

“True,” Kate sighed as she turned the Keurig on. That wasn’t going away anytime soon. “I went to a gay bar.” 

There. She’d said it. She’d spit it out

“I mean. Dazzler was playing a set and asked me to come hang out.” Fuck no. Don’t back pedal, don’t do that!

“Look.” Kate finally looked at America, ignoring the bubbling noise of the Keurig. “The only way I know how to do this is to just spit it out, all of it. Okay?”

“Um. Okay.” America leaned her shoulder against the door. 

“I met a girl at the bar, I was buzzed and we went back to her place.” Kate laughed, “I went out tonight to prove to myself that you were wrong. That I was still the team fuck up who went through boys like Bruce Banner goes through pants.”

“And are you?” America used her shoulder to push away from the door. “Are you still Kate Bishop Young Avengers fuck up extraordinaire, exactly like you wanted?”

“No.” Kate’s shoulders slumped. There it was. It was finally out there. “Do you know you have an evil twin out there?” Kate tried to joke a little, maybe it would help.

“Oh?” There was that eyebrow raise again.

“Yeah. She booted me from her bedroom tonight, and didn’t even own anything star spangled.”

America laughed. A genuine laugh. It was something Kate had never heard, but would be damned if she didn’t hear it again. 

The girl looked different when she smiled. If Kate was being honest with herself, it took America’s bitch factor down quite a bit. 

“Do I really look at you? I mean, in that way?”

“I think you already know the answer if you have to ask. And the fact that you were kicked out of my doppelganger’s apartment not too long ago.”

“Then why am I so worried about the answer?”

“Come here.” America motioned for Kate to come closer.

“Why? Are you going to murder me? I heard what you did to that guy over the phone.”

“No princess I’m not going to murder you, just come here.”

Kate walked across the room to find herself enveloped in an unfamiliar hug. “America? What are you doing?”

“It’s called hugging. Thought I would give it a try.” America squeezed a little tighter in emphasis. “It’s okay.”

Kate tucked her face into America’s neck, feeling like she was holding on for dear life. All the while taking in the smell of America’s skin and, surprisingly, girly shampoo.

“Hey.” America pulled back a little. “People like who they like. It doesn’t change who you are. You can still be the team fuck up if you want.”

“And what if I want something different?”

“And what’s that princess?”

“What if I wanted you to kiss me?”

America stood there looking at Kate stolidly long enough to cause the archer panic.

“I-I mean.” Kate tried to pull away from the other girl, “April fools?”

“It’s not April princess. But,” America dipped her head, lips hovering dangerously close to Kate’s “it is about damn time.”


End file.
